The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-08-19
the NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Helping the Postmasters to Keep
Their Accounts.
Navy Yards to be Equipped for
Modern shipbuiIdlng.
How a Heroic Engineer Met a Terri
bic Death.

WASHINGTON, August 1s.-The latest ac-
cident here is attributed by many to an err
TOR of Judgment of the engineer. But he
was hero to the last, and, finding that the
air brakes did not work and that the train
hands either did not respond to his alarm
signal or were unable to control the train by
the hand brakes, he climbed to the top of
his engine. after having reversed it, and en-
deavored to stop the engine by permitting
the steam to escape. Ham BrOcious, before
he was buried in the splintered:an twisted
engine, was last seen on the top of the loco
motive irving to release the steam by fore
ing off the head of the steam box. He had
attempted an impossible thing. and it was
too late The engine, with the long train
behind it, was forced from the track and
through four-story brick signal tower. If
the engine had not been reversed, what
dreadful calamity would have followed!
Pradtical railroad men say the train, run
ming at the high rate Of 60 miles an hour
down steep grade and around sharp
curve, would certainly have gone through
the depot building, a short distance further
on, and in that depot building there was
crowd OK exeusionlsts ready for an early
morning start, and beyond il was the street
Postmasters' Bookkeeping.
The revision Of the postal laws and regu-
lations, provided by the last Congress, is
now complete and in press. The regulations
contain few radical changes from existing
methods, the most important being in the
manner of keeping accounts in post offices
and in rendering returns thereon. Hereto
fore the postmaster was required to keep a
record OF receipts, quarterly account cur
rent, and general postal account. One
class OF expenditures or receipts were re-
Oulrp0 tn ha pnfpra6 in aapOunf and n
other class in the other. Much confusion re-
suited from the nice distinctions between
these accounts. The two accounts are TO be
consolidated, so that but one return Is rem
dered, which will be complete exhibit of
the business of the current quarter. and al
so give the exact state OF the p0stmaster's
account with the department of postal bus
iness. Third and fourth class postmasters
are to be furnished record books in which,
on forms carefully prepared, their accounts
can be easily kept, and receipts and expen-
ditures readily stated, by merely filling the
blank spaces with the proper figures. This
method will greatly simplify, render easy
and uniform the keeping OF accounts and
rendering of returns, and enable the post
master and his sureties to know the exact
state of his postal account at any time, as the
settlement OF each quarter is in effect final
settlement.
The regulations will be distributed to
postmasters early in September, and will
take effect September 15
To Build War Ships.
Orders have been issued from the Navy
Department to the commandants of the
New York and Norfolk navy yards to pre-
pare schedules of the new tools required to
fit these yards for building modern steel war
vessels. All of the tools will be purchased
by contract after advertisement. Construc-
tor Pook of the New York Navy Yard, who
is in this city, says that the allowance of
$75, 200 made by Secretary Whitney for ex-
tending the plant of the yard will be sufi-
cient to place that yard on an equal footing
with the best private shipbuilding establish
ment in the country. An equal allowance
has been made for the purchase of tools for
equip it so that a complete modern iron clad
can be built there